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Leafs' Phaneuf traded to Senators in 9-player mega-deal

The Senators and Maple Leafs didn’t call a truce in the Battle of Ontario on Tuesday, but they did make a trade — and it was a blockbuster.

Trying to get back into the playoff race in the East, Senators GM Bryan Murray pulled off a massive nine-player deal that brought the club former Leafs’ captain Dion Phaneuf in return. He’ll make his debut playing alongside Cody Ceci on Wednesday night in the Motor City against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Senators have been looking for someone to play with Ceci all season — this will fill that hole. Ottawa sent wingers Milan Michalek and Colin Greening, who has spent this season in Binghamton, to Toronto, along with struggling blue-liner Jared Cowen and a second-round pick in 2017.

Ottawa also acquired minor-league forwards Matt Frattin, Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert and defence prospect Cody Donaghey.Phaneuf is the key to the deal and the Senators are hoping that, with the chance to take the “C” off his chest, he can just play, contribute and provide leadership here.

Phaneuf was in Calgary and was expected to join the Senators at their Detroit hotel on Tuesday night.

“I don’t expect him to come in here and be a saviour,” said Murray, trying to relieve some of the pressure Phaneuf felt in the Toronto market. “We expect him to come in here and be the hockey player he is.”

The talks heated up on the weekend when the Leafs were in Ottawa. Toronto GM Lou Lamoriello pulled Murray into the coaches’ offices before the morning skate at the Canadian Tire Centre and that’s where it got serious.

The Leafs were happy with the way Phaneuf was contributing, but they didn’t like the $7 million price tag. Murray did some homework on Phaneuf to make sure he’d be happy here before making the trade. He spoke with Phaneuf before he boarded a plane from Calgary to Detroit and said he was happy.

“I never had a doubt about Dion’s character,” Murray said. “I know we scrutinize people, especially in good markets or big markets, and guys that wear the ‘C’ on their sweater. I’ve talked to enough people over the years to know (and) I’ve talked Clarke MacArthur enough to know.

“I don’t think I’ve heard one thing other than he’s a real good person, competes (and) he wants to win. He’s been in a tough environment. He’s been judged very toughly in the environment he’s in.”

MacArthur, who skated Tuesday morning, said he planned to reach out to Phaneuf. The former Leafs teammates are close friends and have stayed in touch.

“I think he’s going to be great. I had good years with him in Toronto. He’s a character guy that we need. He came a long way in Toronto. Having to be the captain in a city like that, it’s a tough place to play and even tougher to be the guy that takes all the heat, so for us to get him, I think that solidified a really solid ‘D’ corps now and we’re excited to get him,” said MacArthur.

“At the same time, it’s a sad day. I was really good buddies with (Michalek), he was a great teammate. Everyone’s going to really miss those guys ... So any of these big trades you always lose good people so it’s tough.”

The Senators will save $1.4 million this season and another $4 million next year. Yes, Murray noted money is always a factor, but he wanted to make a hockey trade that would help the team.

“First of all, it’s great to make a hockey trade. We usually don’t do that,” said Murray. “We usually worry about everything else.

“From our point of view, it’s a trade that will give us a little more security on the back end. I hear people talk all the time that we’re dreadful in our own end and we haven’t been great, we’re getting better and we believe this will be a good addition in that process.

“It’s about getting an experienced leader, a good person, hard-working, competitive guy to add to the mix in our top four.”

It seems odd that the Senators made a deal with their arch-rival, though. They haven’t been dance partners in the past, but Murray and Lamoriello have been around long enough that they don’t have to worry about what anybody might think. They both wanted to do what was best for their teams.

“It helps them. It helps us. Those are good deals and then maybe you can make a deal in the future,” said Murray. “We’ll battle them on the ice. They’ll battle us on the ice.

“We’ll try to compete to beat them every game and they’ll do likewise but, at the end of the day, we’re in a business that’s about winning and all I’m trying to do is help the Ottawa Senators be a winner.”

The Senators felt they took a step in that direction Tuesday.

Milan Michalek had to add Toronto to his 10 team no trade list to accept the deal or would have been done Monday night,. #Sens